This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.
Have you ever heard the expression "a ball of energy"? People often use the term to describe very active children. But today we tell about an invention">invention called the sOccket, that is a real ball of energy. Julia Silverman ins">explains.
JULIA SILVERMAN: "The sOccket is aing">cutting-edgeportablegeneratorin">in the form of a soccer ball."
Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews developed the sOccket as part of a group project for an ineering">engineering class at Harvard University.
To better understand what a sOccket is, you first need to understand how it works.
JULIA SILVERMAN: "When you play with the ball, there is all this energy ing">beingtransferredto the ball -- even any">any normal soccer ball. Basically, what we're ing">trying to do is instead">instead of ing">letting that energydissipateinto">into the environment or just be lost, we'reing">harnessingit inside">inside ing">using these mechanisms, this technology thatessentiallytries tocaptureing">everything with the movement. ing">Everything that is harnessed is thenstoredina battery ofsorts."The sOccket collects and stores this energy with every kick, hit or throw of the ball.
JULIA SILVERMAN: "Then the user canpluganyaccessorydirectly into the ball, like a lamp to study, or a cell phone charger. We're developing a water purifier and hopefully some other things that might be beneficial."
For every fifteen minutes of game play, the sOccket can provide enough electricity to power an LED lamp for up to three hours. The ball canstore up totwenty-four hours' worth of power.
The International Energy Association reported last year that nearly one and a half billion people did not have access to electricity. Most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa and in India and other countries in Asia.
Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews both had experience in developing countries before they began the project. They knew that power shortages are a serious problem in many areas.
JULIA SILVERMAN: "There's an energy crisis in the world. One out of every five people in the global population don't have any electricitywhatsoever. And beyond that, there are a lot of health issues because what people use instead of the electricity are harmful alternatives like kerosene lamps, which produce a lot of smoke."
Ms. Silverman says the sOccket is one small solution to a big problem.
JULIA SILVERMAN: "And so we knew that just a little bit of light would make a huge difference. And we also knew that soccer was the most popular sport, most loved sport in the whole world."
Jessica Matthews and Julia Silverman have started anonprofit organizationcalled Uncharted Play. They hope their sOccket ball willshine morelight onthe problem of power shortages. It offers people a chance to put their energy into the world's most popular sport and get some energy in return.
And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report. Go to voaspecialenglish.com for transcripts, MP3s and now PDF files of our stories. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and iTunes at VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.
重点难点注释
ing">cutting-edge portable generator:尖端的可携带发电机
a battery of:一连串的
store up to:储存达……
nonprofit organization(NGO):非营利性组织
shine light on:闪耀光芒,提出解决办法
transfer:[træns'fə:]
n. 迁移,移动,传递,转让,转移,过户,汇兑,换车
vt. 转移,调转,调任,改变,传递
The clerk was transferred to another department.
那位职员已被调到另一部门。
dissipate:['disipeit]
vt. 散失,驱散,浪费
vi. 消散,放荡
The dissipated young man holds his reputation cheap.
这位放荡的年轻人不珍视他的名声。
Don't dissipate your efforts.
不要浪费自己的精力。
harness: ['hɑ:nis]
vt. 治理;套;驾驭;披上甲胄
n. 马具;甲胄;挽具状带子;降落伞背带
Atomic energy has been tamed and harnessed for useful work.
原子能已被征服并得到实际利用。
The dam harnesses the energy of the river.
essentially [i'senʃəli]
ad. 本质上,实质上,基本上
capture ['kæptʃə]
n. 抓取,战利品,捕获之物
vt. 抓取,获得,迷住
He was captured and taken prisoner by enemy soldiers.
他被敌军俘虏。
plug:[plʌg]
n. 塞子,消防栓,电插头
vt. 插入,塞住,接插头
vi. 被塞住
accessory [æk'sesəri]
n. 附件,同谋
a. 附属的,同谋的
whatsoever:无论什么,任何
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2013-11-25
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